The Kickoff event of “Together for enhancing our School” Project was held on October 9, 2017. The upgrading project of Hoda Shaarawi Primary School in El Mattareya, funded by the European Union and the German Government within the framework of Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP). The opening speeches were delivered by Dr. Hossam Badrawi, Chairman, Dr. Magued Osman, Vice Chairman, and Dr. Ahmed Shawki, Treasurer on behalf of Takatof Association for Development, Dr. Reda Hegazi, on behalf of the Minister of Education, Gen. Khaled El Mohammadi, Head of Mattareya District and Ms. Abeer El Saheb, Head of Fund Management GIZ – Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas. Also present were Mr. Ahmed Shaaban, General Manager of the Mattareya Educational Directorate, Ms. Randa Halawa, Head of the Central Department for treatment of educational dropout school dropout, and also Eng. Rowaida Salah, Architectural Design Manager at the Educational Buildings Authority, Eng. Siham Gamal elDin, Cairo Division Manager at the Authority. The Association was also honored with the presence of
Ms. Manal El Gamil, member of Parliament, Prof. Manal Awad, Deputy Govenor of Giza, also present was Prof. Abla Abdel Latif, President of the Consultative Council for Economic Development of the Presidency and the Executive Director and Director of Research at the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies, who praised the scientific method used in the upgrade built on the needs’ assessment, monitoring and evaluation and impact measuring. Attending the event were also Mr. Gamal Mohammad, the school Principal, Mr. Hani Abdel Ghaffar the school Deputy and several teachers representing the school body who praised the training’s effectiveness.
Ms. Mireille Nessim, CEO of the Association presented the Project in detail and the importance of the needs’ assessment and gathering of data and focus group discussion with the teachers, the students, their parents and school administration before implementing the project. According to the results of these studies, the Association determined Capacity Building programs needed and implemented Educational Strategies, Principles of Comprehensive Development, Learning Difficulties, Life Skills”, in addition to the Capacity building of KG teachers of the school and some of the area schools as well. During the current school year, Takatof Association will continue the teachers’ capacity building programs and the awareness sessions for the students and their parents. Also a capacity building programs will be implemented for the BoTs, and the staff of the Mattareya Educational Directorate to ensure the sustainability of the project. Sustainability will also be ensured by training the teachers on Educational Strategies and manufacturing different educational tools suitable for active learning, empower them to include students of different intelligences and improve their academic performance, provide teachers with the skills to identify learning difficulties and how to deal with behavioral problems. As for the students, they will acquire life skills, morals & values and the will receive awareness sessions on violence, harassment and how to preserve the environment. Camps and fun days will also be implemented. The parents also will receive awareness sessions on how to bring up their children, sexual harassment and violence against children, and How to deal with the learning problems/academic challenges of their children. The school administration will receive capacity building on “Management and Leadership Skills” Training for the principal and school deputy of Hoda Shaarawi and other schools in Mattareya, and the school BOTs will receive a training on “School Resources Management” and initiatives.
From the structural side, the upgrade of the school has already started and as a result of the needs’ assessment, the Association will create space and activate all the activity rooms. Space for a resource room will be also be created for students with learning difficulties.
The event ended with a fruitful discussion between the attendees and mediated by Dr. Hossam Badrawi.
**This article has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union and the German Government. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Takatof Association for Development and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or the German Government.”